Research on cross-cultural psychology, anthropology and sociology reveals that the impact of face on social interactions is both pervasive and powerful in Asia. Face, however, has not gained general acceptance as an important theoretical concept in the literature on Asian (Chinese in particular) classroom behaviour and management. This article proposes face as a key variable that can explain much of the complexity of Chinese students' reticence in class in western higher institutions. It seeks to account for the classroom behaviour of three Chinese students in a British university through the concept and dynamics of face in Chinese culture, addressing its pervasive, significant, but often subtle, influences on students' classroom behaviour. (Contains 1 table.)